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A bank that was rescued with Â£17bn in state handouts refused to open a "return to Normandy" account for D-Day veterans, on the grounds that it would be a profitless nuisance.

The Normandy Veterans Association asked Lloyds to set up an account for the "Overlord List" â an appeal in The Independent that raised Â£20,000 to take 500 ex-servicemen back to France on 6 June for the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

The request, to a Bristol branch of Lloyds, was received enthusiastically. However, the NVA's secretary Peter Hodge was later told the bank's London headquarters would not approve what it deemed a "temporary" facility because the cash would be withdrawn before the summer and would therefore "provide no benefit" to Lloyds.

The advertising executive Trevor Beattie, who has personally pledged to sponsor 30 veterans from the West Midlands after hearing of our appeal, accused Lloyds of showing "rank insensitivity". "We hear a lot from bankers about risk," he said. "We, as taxpayers and citizens, are suffering from the absurd risks banks took. And now this bank refuses to provide a simple, risk-free service for people who risked everything on our behalf. It beggars belief."

In a letter to the Bristol branch manager, copied to the Lloyds chairman Sir Victor Blank, Mr Beattie said: "Your blighted profession has just slipped another rung. As if banking had not soured its already crass reputation enough. Not happy with helping bring our economy to the brink of a financial abyss, it now seems that lending a hand to a group of proud octogenarians to whom we all (yes, even bankers) owe everything is beyond you. You are not fit to lace the boots of those we will be honouring in June. Sleep well."

Mr Hodge said the NVA asked Lloyds for a special account because it was anxious to make sure the cash and cheques were handled safely. He said he found the bank's reluctance impossible to comprehend, adding: "Their main point was that such an account would be difficult to organise and provide no benefit to Lloyds."

Last night, a spokeswoman for Lloyds TSB said: "We are extremely sorry for the upset and offence we caused Captain Peter Hodge. Better judgement and more flexibility should have been exercised by us."

She added that "in order to express our deep regret", the bank would pay Â£700 to sponsor two veterans to make the return trip to Normandy. However, the apology came too late for the NVA. Mr Hodge, 67, has instead set up an account with HSBC, which said it was "honoured and delighted" to help with the fundraising campaign.

LE

For many years it's been known that the collective noun for bankers is a wunch.

And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this
Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
They call it easing the Spring.
They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,
For today we have naming of parts.

And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this
Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
They call it easing the Spring.
They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,
For today we have naming of parts.

Only reporting what I heard in about 1982, when spookily, I worked for a Bank. Since then I've worked for several other Banks, and couldn't say that they're ALL a wunch, but I met enough who are.

And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this
Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
They call it easing the Spring.
They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,
For today we have naming of parts.

LE

Not for much longer, I imagine. Once this hits the press I'd expect a lot of Forces/ex-Forces/Forces Support accounts to be moved.

And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this
Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
They call it easing the Spring.
They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,
For today we have naming of parts.

Old-Salt

I know that sadly the vast majority of the UK population don't care or have any admiration for the current service men and women, but you would have thought that WW2 veterans would command a much larger degree of respect than post WW2 veterans due to the fact that they prevented a fascist tidal wave of European Nazi rule!

shame on Lyoyds

A

ALVIN

Guest

Another case of "not enough profit in it for us" and thats what i hate about my country today, finance mad, morrel principles have gone out of the window in todays society. -------well at least they have been exposed, and quite rightly so. If it was saudi princes that wanted to open a account with them, it would be tea and red carpets for them i shouldent wonder ! ------ followed by a nice back hander of coke !

War Hero

Another case of "not enough profit in it for us" and thats what i hate about my country today, finance mad, morrel principles have gone out of the window in todays society. -------well at least they have been exposed, and quite rightly so. If it was saudi princes that wanted to open a account with them, it would be tea and red carpets for them i shouldent wonder ! ------ followed by a nice back hander of coke !